In With the New: Locally Owned Businesses Sprouting Up Across the Valley! (Part 1)
By Genevieve Allen Hearn
A number of popular local haunts have closed recently, including Designer Café in Kentville and Il Dolce Café in Wolfville. Losing such businesses can be a tough pill to swallow – especially in a rural area where the absence of a community gathering point makes a major impact on the lives of local residents. However, the sadness that we feel about losing these businesses is assuaged by the excitement of new emergent businesses and business expansions! The Grapevine spoke with a few local business owners about their new endeavors.
Inquisitive Baby
Location: 360 Main Street, Wolfville
Open date & hours: The Grand Opening was August 13. Open Monday – Friday, 10am-5:30pm; Saturday, 9:30am-5pm; and Sunday, 12pm-5pm.
What do you offer?
Jake Rideout: Inquisitive Baby is the destination for baby and toddler gifts in the Annapolis Valley and beyond! We carry premium brands like Baby Jogger, Britax, Jolly Jumper, Ubbi, Bumbo, and many more. In addition to our well-known brands, we carry locally made brands like Baby Birch Beads and East of Ordinary. Supporting our neighbours is very important to us!
Crystany’s Brasserie
Location: 9848 Main Street, Canning
Open date & hours: The Grand Opening was July 31. Open Tuesday – Thursday, 11am-8pm; Friday – Saturday, 11am-9pm; and Sunday, 11am-5pm.
What do you offer?
Brittany Maxner: Our family owned and operated restaurant is completely gluten-free with delicious homemade food that can’t be found anywhere else! Our chef has 15 years experience, and his southern roots inspired some of our menu items. We hope everyone will stop in soon and experience our deck before the season changes!
Half Acre Café
Location: 395 Main Street, Kentville (same location as Designer Café)
Open date & hours: The soft opening was on Saturday, August 13. Open Monday – Friday, 7am- 5pm; Saturday, 8am-5pm; Sunday, 9am-5pm (these hours may change).
What do you offer?
Jeremy Mott: Our menu consists of breakfast and lunch options that are made almost entirely in-house, from the bread that our overnight baker prepared to the mayonnaise we make from scratch. We always have fresh goods in our display from the moment we open. We wanted a casual theme for the Café and decided to draw upon the rich history of the Town of Kentville. We have photography on our walls from the Kings County Museum and our menu items are all named after notable people from Kentville’s past.
